Showdog Saturday, the Border Terrier

I get to see this little girl from time to time at the shows.  Isn't she adorable?

This is her with her brother and sister.  They all love my coats, by the way.  

What I like about the border terrier is their friendly, inquisitive nature.  Since I spotlight a breed every week, I thought these guys would be good subjects!

Here's what I have found out, from the owner/handler and from the internet.

They were developed near the England/Scotland border and are one of the oldest types of terrier in Great Britain.  The plan was to have a dog that was small enough to follow after the foxes who were killing the livestock but big enough to keep up with the horses.  

Border Terriers are not very large dogs, although they generally have large personalities.  They are really good diggers and pretty active, so they are good at agility, earth dog (a digging for prey type of competition) and obedience. Border terriers were bred to have a high prey drive so they need to be supervised around smaller pets (hamsters, cats, rabbits). 

These little guys have a wiry coat with an undercoat and a stocky build.  They are very smart but a bit independent as many terriers are.  They want to be part of the family but don't require constant attention.  They are pretty active so need daily exercise, although living in apartments is ok as long as they get walked.